


Pretty Things

by fortunata13



Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-19
Updated: 2013-09-08
Packaged: 2017-12-23 23:43:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/932482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortunata13/pseuds/fortunata13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU of Torn in which Cara gets to see a whole new side of the Mother Confessor of the Midlands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Cara looked to her left, then to her right, and back again at least a dozen times. Richard, as usual, squirmed his way out of this conundrum by claiming that some annoying peasant –– a large-breasted one, no doubt –– was in dire need of rescuing.

This all began with the use of some ridiculous magical trinket that somehow spawned an extra Kahlan, or rather produced two Kahlans –– neither of which was actually Kahlan although they both looked very much like Kahlan. One of them was whiny and needy, and constantly rubbing up on Cara like a cat in heat, while the other one –– a raving bitch –– had a bit of a fascination with Cara’s cleavage.

It should probably be said that Cara was tasked with being their minder, but not before almost coming to blows with her Lord who, upon discovering that one of the two was sans magic, attempted to hike up her dress and take her in a field as if she were a common trollop. Cara pointed out to her Lord several times that something about the Mother Confessor wasn’t quite right on that fateful morning, but he apparently was more interested in taking his pleasure than on the questionable mental state of his betrothed. While the Confessor’s honor was none of her concern –– or so she told herself –– Cara was fairly certain that once the two fake Kahlans were merged back into the real one, it would be she who would have to protect Richard from her wrath. Thus, she threatened to insert her agiels into various orifices if he dared lay a hand on the needy bundle of emotions that was the magic-less Kahlan.

It was at times like this that Cara missed Darken Rahl most for she now found herself locked in a room playing nursemaid to not one but two Kahlans –– neither of which was actually Kahlan. That last part she was grateful for since one Kahlan had actually confessed the other Kahlan. Worst of all was that it was up to the incompetent Wizard of the First Order to fix the Kahlans. Oh, and let’s not forget Prince Fyren also ended up confessed by bitchy Kahlan but not before having Cara’s agiel pressed to his groin –– likely rendering him impotent and infertile with a single blow. Not a bad outcome in Cara’s estimation for no one should have to bed a man with a face like his.

“Sit over there and stop your incessant whining,” bitchy Kahlan ordered her confessed twin who promptly scurried to the other side of the room. Not wanting to meet the same fate as needy Kahlan, Cara kept her distance –– and her hands on her agiels. Surprisingly, once her twin quieted down, the bitchy Confessor’s demeanor suddenly changed. She looked down at Cara’s agiels then up at her cleavage biting her lower lip for a long moment. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” she said, as she ogled the tops of Cara’s breasts. The other Kahlan, having been confessed, was more than a little miffed that her Mistress would prefer the company of a Mord’Sith to her own but dared not speak without her Mistress’s permission. The offered transaction wasn’t one that displeased Cara –– aside from the likelihood of winding up dead.

“No,” Cara replied flatly.

Bitchy Kahlan walked circles around her several times, as if considering how best to overcome this rejection. “I specifically heard your wood-chopping, flimsy excuse of a Lord order you to make certain we were safe and comfortable. It would not please him to have us be unhappy. Isn’t that right?” she asked, looking back at her other half over her shoulder.

“Yes, Mistress,” her twin replied. “Can I play, too?” She started to unlace her dress before her Mistress had a chance to reply.

Seeing as one of whiny Kahlan’s breasts was already spilling out of her dress, Cara saw no reason to interfere with her progress. Bitchy Kahlan smirked at the sight of Cara transfixed by the exposed flesh. “Nice, aren’t they?” she asked, walking over to roll one of her twin’s nipples between her fingers, eliciting a wanton moan from her confessed; Cara felt it between her own thighs. “Would you like to play?” Bitchy Kahlan asked, but Cara didn’t answer. “Well, I could make you.”

Cara chuckled. “Oh, really?” she said, with one of her agiels already out of its holster. “And how would you manage that?” She lightly grazed bitchy Kahlan’s arm with the tip of her agiel, causing her to hiss and grimace.

Confessed Kahlan rushed to her side. “Mistress, are you hurt?” she asked, then glared at Cara.

Bitchy Kahlan grinned and pointed her index finger to the sky. “I’ll tell you how. You, and your idiotic Lord, seem to be quite fond of the combined version of us,” she said, pointing between herself and her confessed. “I could, quite easily, live a long and happy life, without her.” She pointed at whiny Kahlan who proceeded to pout and sniffle. 

“Mm, and how exactly would you achieve that end?” Cara asked with a smirk on her face.

“Why, I’d kill her, of course.”

“Mistress!” the other Kahlan yelped in a panic.

“Quiet,” her twin said in a menacing tone.

Cara crossed her arms in front of her chest, and said, “Yes, but you’d have to get through me first.”

“Kahlan,” bitchy Kahlan said to her confessed twin, “bang your head on the wall.” The other Kahlan quickly complied. “I could just as easily order her to die. Would you like to see?” she asked Cara, who instantly lost all color as a knot formed in her belly. “Then again, why would it matter to you? Unless…” she trailed off, grinning again. “You care for her.”

Cara faltered for a moment, then said, “My Lord would not be pleased.”

“Ah yes, your Lord, of course. Well then, I suggest you kiss me. Otherwise both you and your Lord will be stuck with me for a very long time.” She ran her fingers through Cara’s hair and leaned in to nuzzle her hair. “You really are a pretty little thing,” she said, pressing her lips to the shell of Cara’s ear. Cara felt that between her thighs as well.

“I’ll kiss you, Mistress,” chimed in the more pathetic version of the two.

“No, you’ll have to wait your turn. First we’ll play with the pretty Mord’Sith.” She leaned in and kissed Cara on the lips. “Oh, such soft lips. What’s your name again, Karen, was it?”

Cara rolled her eyes. “Cara. My name is Cara.”

“Good, I like it better than Karen. Now kiss me again –– a lover’s kiss this time.” Cara could feel her heart pounding behind her ribcage; this wasn’t right but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want it. Cara’s lips parted and she took hold of the back of Kahlan’s neck, roughly kissing her on the mouth, tongue tasting every bit of her.

“Is it my turn, Mistress?” the other, more annoying Kahlan asked once Cara’s lips left her mistress’s.

“Very well,” she said, and kissed her mirror image, leaving Cara wide-eyed and hungry. “Now get her out of her leathers.”

“I can do it myself,” Cara said.

“As you wish,” Kahlan said, as her confessed looked on with interest.

The moment Cara’s breasts were exposed, the tip of Kahlan’s tongue went to one of Cara’s nipples. “Very nice,” she said, sliding her hand down Cara’s belly. “Is that all for me?” she asked, finding ample evidence of Cara’s desire for her. Cara didn’t answer but her flushed skin and heavy breathing betrayed her. “Sit,” she said to Cara, guiding her to the edge of the bed and gently parting her thighs. She tasted Cara’s clit with the tip of her tongue in the same way as she’d done with her nipple. Cara instinctively arched into her mouth. “Lie down,” she said, in a tone that was every bit Kahlan –– the real Kahlan, not the fragmented mess she’d been dealing with all day. Cara swallowed hard and moved up the bed to rest her head on the pillow. “I want you to remember this,” she said to Cara, again in that way that sounded so much like the real Kahlan that it made Cara’s heart ache. “You can join us as well,” she said to her twin who eagerly climbed on the bed. 

“Yes, Mistress,” she said smiling brightly as she stepped out of her dress.

“I want you to pleasure her just as you would me,” she said to her confessed. “We will pleasure her together.” She spoke to the other Kahlan but her eyes never left the naked Mord’Sith on her bed.

Cara assessed the situation and concluded that as far as ways to die, being fucked to death by two Kahlans was as close to perfect as she’d ever imagined. Richard crossed her mind for a moment but she reasoned that once the Wizard cast the spell Kahlan would be whole again and capable of protecting him. Thus, she was ready and willing to meet the Keeper for the umpteenth time.

Confessed Kahlan latched on to one of Cara’s breasts while the other Kahlan kissed her long and deep as if she were trying to memorize the taste and feel of her tongue. Cara had been kissed thousands of times but this kiss was different –– and not just because it was Kahlan. This kiss felt like the Breath of Life only more intense somehow. When their lips parted, Kahlan hovered over her for a moment. “You felt it, yes?” Cara nodded. She wasn’t sure what she’d felt but the look in Kahlan’s eyes made it seem important.

By then confessed Kahlan had moved on to the other breast, while her Mistress was kissing her way down Cara’s body, methodically pressing her lips to every scar, and every freckle on Cara’s body. Cara closed her eyes and allowed herself to bask in the pleasure of Kahlan’s warm, open-mouthed kisses. “You must remember this,” she said to Cara before settling between Cara’s thighs and licking the length of her sex. Cara moaned and urged Kahlan on with her hands on the back of her head. “Straddle her face,” Kahlan ordered her confessed twin. “I want you to come in her mouth.” Confessed Kahlan eagerly complied.

When Cara tasted Kahlan, hot and wet in her mouth, it was all she could do to keep from coming right then and there. “Not yet, please,” Kahlan said to her. “We’ll come together but I want this to last just a little longer.” She lowered her head and returned to the task of pleasuring Cara.

Confessed Kahlan and Cara came in a symphony of moans and grunts –– Cara with Kahlan’s tongue buried inside her, whiny Kahlan grinding herself into Cara’s face. They both lay boneless on the bed panting from exertion. Kahlan licked them both clean and covered them with a blanket. “Sleep,” she said, kissing them both on the lips. She then washed herself, picked up her dress and her smallclothes, and got dressed. As the other two slept, she watched over them doing her best to memorize the fluttering of Cara’s eyelashes and the look of contentment on confessed Kahlan’s face –– which was also her face.

When Cara woke up, she got out of bed completely naked and pressed the front of her body to Kahlan’s back, encircling her waist. “Why?” she asked. “You could have easily taken your pleasure and killed me, and then killed her.”

Kahlan traced Cara’s jaw line with her fingertips. “For the good of my people, of course. A good ruler needs both reason and heart. I lack one, she lacks the other. We must die so that your Kahlan, whole and complete, can rule.”

“But why spare me?” Cara asked, pressing her nose to Kahlan’s neck and taking in her scent.

“I like pretty things,” she said, “and you are very pretty. Aside from that, your Kahlan needs you.” She kissed Cara one last time, long and deep. “Get dressed,” she said when they broke the kiss. “They’ll come for us soon.” She woke her twin, ordered her to dress and forbade her to speak.

Minutes later, the Seeker and the Wizard were back and ready to end the lives of two Kahlans for the sake of the one true Kahlan. All the while, bitchy Kahlan’s eyes never left Cara for she wanted to leave this world holding the image of something she deemed pretty.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to Pretty Things because Cara is one lucky Mord'Sith, and I can't get enough of bitchy Kahlan.

“Again?” Cara asked, throwing her arms up in frustration.

Richard shrugged and gestured an apology with his hands. “I have no idea how it happened,” he said. “She was just sitting by the fire. I looked away to add some kindling and when I looked back, there they were.”

“Look, Kahlan,” said bitchy Kahlan to her twin, “it’s the pretty Mord’Sith again.”

Whiny Kahlan greeted her with a smile and an embrace. “We’ve really missed you,” she said, then looked over her at the other Kahlan. “Haven’t we, Mistress?” Bitchy Kahlan smirked and shot Cara a knowing look. “Are we going to play again?”

“What’s she talking about?” Richard asked. Cara pursed her lips, attempting to come up with an explanation, but noticing her struggle to find words, Richard promptly raised his palm and said, “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

As he turned away, bitchy Kahlan grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. “Where are our quarters, wood-chopper? You don’t expect us to take our rest on the forest floor, do you?”

“Why not?” Richard asked, frowning at her.

“My Mistress needs her beauty sleep,” whiny Kahlan said, glaring at him as if he were the vilest of creatures.

Fortunately, Cara quickly intervened. “Trust me, you don’t want to upset them. Go find that sorry excuse for a Wizard you claim is your grandfather, and I’ll find us a place for the night. We’ll meet you here tomorrow.”

Richard was in the process of mounting his steed when bitchy Kahlan grabbed one of his ankles and pulled him down to the ground. “Do you expect us to walk, you idiot?”

Richard gritted his teeth and sighed. “Fine, take the horses, I’ll walk.”

“Come, pretty Mord’Sith, you’ll ride with me.” Whiny Kahlan pouted a bit but got on her horse without incident.

Surprisingly, bitchy Kahlan allowed Cara to ride in front of her. Her motive, however, became evident when Cara felt one of her hands slide down the front of Cara’s bodice so that she had access to fondle her breasts. The little keening sounds Cara released left bitchy Kahlan very pleased with herself.

In an effort to avoid drawing attention to themselves, Cara made a point of avoiding the main roads, and she had one of the Kahlans wear a cloak. “There’s an inn up ahead,” Cara said, pointing at the structure.

“No,” bitchy Kahlan said, “we’d be more comfortable in that castle up ahead. Wouldn’t we, Kahlan?” As expected, her confessed twin wholeheartedly agreed.

Cara released a long-suffering sigh. “Yes, I’m sure you would be but the proprietor would probably take issue with us removing him from his own home.”

“Nonsense,” bitchy Kahlan said, “it’s a privilege to serve the Mother Confessor of the Midlands. If he balks, give him some gold. If he’s still not willing to harbor us, I’ll persuade him otherwise.”

“I haven’t enough gold for such a transaction,” Cara said.

“That’s because you serve an indolent, wood-chopping idiot.” She reached into her purse and gave Cara a handful of coins. “Now go talk to the proprietor.”

Cara sighed again. “I am Mord’Sith. People do not open their doors when I knock. They sneak out the back door and run for their lives.”

Bitchy Kahlan threw her arms up in frustration, “Well then, do that. It’s the more fiscally sound choice.”

Cara rolled her eyes. “Fine, but if I get killed you’ll be stuck with Richard.” Cara walked up the hill and across the moat, and knocked on the door. When no one answered, she looked back at the Kahlans and shrugged. Whiny Kahlan smiled and waved at her while the other one waited for her pet Mord’Sith to fix it somehow. It was then that Cara noticed a sign, a “for sale” sign no less. For once, the Creator was on her side. She jimmied the lock open and waved for the Kahlans to join her.

The place was fully furnished and the kitchen well-stocked. Whiny Kahlan patted Cara on the back and said, “You did well, pretty Mord’Sith.” She then turned to her Mistress and asked, “Mistress, may I reward the pretty Mord’Sith with a kiss for a job well done?”

“As you wish,” her twin replied without turning to look at her, and continued inspecting the castle on her own.

With whiny Kahlan clinging to her and nibbling on her ear, Cara too attempted to explore their temporary dwelling. “My Mistress approves of you,” whiny Kahlan informed her. “She says you’re a very important person –– and not just because you’re pretty.”

That particular remark peeked Cara’s curiosity. “And why would your Mistress concern her self with me?”

“Because she doesn’t like the wood chopper,” whiny Kahlan said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“And your Mistress discusses such matters with you?”

“Yes, my Mistress says I’m a very sensitive person. Therefore, she asks my advice regarding matters of the heart,” she explained.

“Pretty Mord’Sith, Kahlan, come look,” bitchy Kahlan called out just as Cara was about to inquire further. That Kahlan was seeking counsel from her whiny twin surprised Cara but not entirely. She surmised that Kahlan was aware of her own limitations and, for the sake of her people, she was willing to work in tandem with her annoying other half. It also led Cara to suspect that something else was at play.

“Come, your Mistress isn’t exactly what I would call patient.”

When they opened the double doors behind which bitchy Kahlan stood, they found her completely naked standing before a bathing pool that was almost an exact replica of those found in Mord’Sith temples. “Join me,” she said, turning around and diving into the pool. The expression on Cara’s face was one of pure joy; it had been far too long. “Kahlan,” she said to her twin, “take off your dress and help her out of her leathers.”

When the three of them were in the water, bitchy Kahlan pulled Cara into a kiss. “I do love the way you taste, my pretty little thing.”

She swam over to her twin and kissed her as well. She then set about washing her twin’s hair and soaping her body from head to foot. Whiny Kahlan was giddy at receiving so much attention from her Mistress. For her part, Cara smirked watching Kahlan’s hands gliding over those delectable breasts. “Your turn,” she said to Cara, causing whiny Kahlan to pout and sniffle. “Fine,” bitchy Kahlan said, in an attempt to appease her needy twin, “you can wash her back and play with her breasts while I wash her hair.”

“Yes, Mistress,” she replied with a big grin.

Bitchy Kahlan kissed Cara and slid her hand down to where Cara’s thighs met, while her twin lavished Cara’s breasts with attention. “Do you want to come for me, my pretty?” Without waiting for a reply, she plunged two fingers deep into Cara’s sex, causing her to have to cling to bitchy Kahlan for purchase.

It wasn’t long before Cara’s hips matched the rhythm of Kahlan’s fingers. “More,” Cara said, with an accompanying moan, earning herself yet another digit buried deep in her cunt. Cara came in quick spasms that left her boneless as she cried out Kahlan’s name. Bitchy Kahlan held her in her arms, and took care to keep her head above the surface of the water until she was able to stand on her own two feet. “Very nice, my pretty,” she said, swimming away from Cara and getting out of the pool. “You can pleasure her, if you wish,” she said to Cara, who promptly dove under the water and swam the full length of the pool then lifted whiny Kahlan to a seated position and parted her thighs, taking her in her mouth –– that she came calling out her Mistress’s name, Cara found rather insulting but also strangely arousing. All the while, bitchy Kahlan looked on as she dried herself off with a towel.

After helping themselves to the contents of the proprietor’s pantry, bitchy Kahlan sent her twin on a quest to find sleeping clothes, but really, it was an excuse to talk to Cara alone. “This Wizard, do you think he can fix this matter? If he can’t, I’ll have to kill her. Having two of us would lead to mayhem. That cannot happen,” she said. “If you choose to interfere, you’ll meet the same end, of course, which would be a shame since I do enjoy fucking you and so does Kahlan.”

Cara swallowed hard and nodded. “He’ll fix it,” she said. “And yes, it will be over my dead body that you’ll kill her.”

Kahlan gave her a sad smile. “I thought as much. I do admire your kind’s loyalty. You and I are two sides of the same coin. It really is a shame that I can’t take my pleasure from you without killing you. Such a waste,” she said, tracing Cara’s features from her temple to her lips.

Cara smirked and tipped her head, but secretly she was terrified that the Wizard would fail. If it came down to a fight, she or one of the Kahlans would die. Either way, the real Kahlan would be gone forever –– a thought that felt like a knife through her heart.

When the other Kahlan returned with sleeping clothes in tow, her twin said, “I changed my mind,” and tossed the clothes aside. “I want you both to take your pleasure just as we did the other night. This time I’ll take you in my mouth first, while the pretty Mord’Sith watches. We will both lick her breasts before fucking her,” Kahlan said to her twin, “after that the pretty Mord’Sith will straddle my face. I will enjoy looking up at her face while she’s coming. Such a pretty thing,” she said, leaning in to kiss Cara.

“That’s an excellent suggestion, Mistress.” Never in her life had Cara considered this particular scenario. Two equally beautiful Kahlans were openly discussing how to best fuck her. All her skepticism about the existence of a benevolent deity was erased.

She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes as the Kahlans tweaked, tugged, and licked her nipples, leaving her to experience a mind-blowing symphony of sensations. Bitchy Kahlan then turned around with her ass in the air and buried her face between her twin’s thighs.

Kahlan’s sex was in plain view, driving Cara mad with need. At that moment she wanted nothing more in this world than to thrust her tongue into this particular Kahlan’s cunt –– even if the price she had to pay was her life. She took hold of Kahlan’s hips from behind, licked the length of her sex, and for a second buried her tongue in bitchy Kahlan’s cunt. “Are you mad?” bitchy Kahlan asked, tearing herself away from her twin’s sex, and glaring at Cara with eyes that were already starting to swirl into black pools. “A moment longer of having you inside me and I would have come undone. You would have died, pretty Mord’Sith.” She sounded more annoyed than concerned.

“It would have been worth it,” Cara said.

Bitchy Kahlan shook her head, and said, “You are a fascinating little thing. I do wish I could keep you.” She kissed Cara deep and long, “Let me finish her so that I can get a taste of you. And don’t do anything so stupid again. You are far too pretty and far too skilled as a lover for me to be able to hold back my magic.”

It took a few licks and a couple of seconds of sucking hard on her clit to finish whiny Kahlan. She lay back on the bed with a smile on her face looking thoroughly sexed. Her twin quickly turned her attention to Cara. “I want you on my face so that I can devour all of you, and I can see your pretty face when you come for me. When we are finished I would very much like it if your scent permeated every fiber of my being.” Cara had absolutely no qualms with that plan. Kahlan lay back and watched as Cara kissed her way up her body until her sex made contact with Kahlan’s mouth. The way Cara moved on top of her took her breath away, and the things Kahlan did with her tongue did the same to Cara. It wasn’t long before Cara’s hands were gripping the headboard and she was grinding her sex on Kahlan’s face, who promptly took hold of Cara’s hips and fucked her through three consecutive orgasms. “I want you to remember this,” bitchy Kahlan said just as she had the last time. Cara found the remark superfluous for this wasn’t exactly the type of event anyone was likely to forget. When all was said and done, Cara was lying between the two Kahlans, one with her leg slung over her hip, the other with a possessive arm around her waist.

Just as she had the previous time, bitchy Kahlan woke up first and licked Cara and her twin clean. The feel of Kahlan’s hot mouth on her sex roused Cara from sleep. “One way or another, this is goodbye, my pretty Mord’Sith. If your Wizard succeeds, it will be the end of us,” she said, turning her gaze to her slumbering twin. “If he fails, she’ll be gone, and if you insist on trying to protect her, you’ll be gone as well.”

“I’m not that easy to kill,” Cara said, pressing the front of her body to Kahlan’s back and reaching her arms around to knead her breasts.

“I will win because it won’t be a fair fight. She’ll give up her life to protect me or you’ll give up your life to protect her; either way, I’m left standing. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not a cold-blooded killer, but the good of my people always comes first.”

“But you said it yourself, neither of you are fit to rule.” Kahlan turned around in Cara’s arms and kissed her.

“Yes, and I still believe that to be the truth. Because of that, I will, once again, submit myself to the spell. If it fails, however, my people will still need me. A crippled ruler is far better than no ruler at all.” She ran her fingers over Cara’s lips and studied the expression on her face. She determined it was a combination of anger and fear. “In this affair I am blameless, Cara. I did not ask for this, nor did I use the amulet, but a ruler must accept the hand she is dealt and always err on the side of her people.”

 

Hearing her name leave bitchy Kahlan’s lips for the first time made all of this that much more difficult, for she was strangely developing the ability to mentally synthesize the two Kahlans into a single entity that was every bit the Kahlan she knew. It occurred to her that she’d rather die than harm either of the Kahlans which, if the Wizard were to fail, would create quite a problem since Richard would turn to her to fix this mess.

“Why are you being so nice to us?” Cara asked.

“Nice? That’s a ridiculous notion. Don’t mistake kindness for weakness, my pretty. Everything that has come to pass between the three of us has served a purpose that perhaps you will not understand, but she will.”

“She? She, who?” Cara asked, with a furrowed brow.

“Enough,” bitchy Kahlan said, “the Mother Confessor answers to no one. Now get dressed. Your Lord and the Wizard are waiting for us. Cara released a frustrated sigh; she knew that demanding an explanation would be a waste of time. All the Kahlans, she decided, were equally stubborn.

The three of them rode off as soon as they were dressed. Bitchy Kahlan left a stack of gold coins and a note, informing the owners that the Mother Confessor of the Midlands had temporarily occupied the property. Cara and whiny Kahlan shared a horse on the way back, while the other Kahlan rode alone. Cara knew she’d decided to do so because if the spell failed, she would have to kill them. Carrying out that task would be less difficult if she put some distance between them. While Cara had initially thought her a madwoman, she now understood she’d been wrong. This Kahlan was not evil or mad; she simply saw life clearly and responded accordingly. Cara, in fact, concluded that in her own way this Kahlan was just as kind and generous as her Kahlan.

When they arrived, Richard stood several paces behind the Wizard, looking off into the forest. The mere sight of the Kahlans turned his stomach. Cara suspected it was a combination of guilt due to his inappropriate attempt at bedding whiny Kahlan, and at being faced with the existence of not one but two Kahlans who weren’t in love with him, for he had long ago decided that Kahlan was his –– like the Sword of Truth was his, and his boots were his. Cara shook her head and smirked at the notion of such a thing.

Just as she had the first time the spell was cast, bitchy Kahlan fixed her gaze on Cara, but this time she held her twin’s hand, gently caressing it with her thumb. “I’ve determined the flaw with the first spell,” the Wizard said. “This time I am using much more powerful magic.”

Once Zedd finished reciting a litany of gibberish, there was once again just one Kahlan. Richard grinned and took Kahlan in his arms, spinning her around as if she were a rag doll, while the Wizard, having in his estimation saved the day, looked on with a smug smile on his face. Cara was certain she’d be forced to listen to his boasting for weeks.

The four of them took their midday meal together, and soon after, Richard took Kahlan by the hand and they disappeared into the forest together. Kahlan, who seemed more pensive than usual, looked over her shoulder at Cara for a moment with an inscrutable look on her face.

***

“Cara,” Kahlan said, resting her hand on Cara’s shoulder and sitting beside her in front of the fire, “thank you for looking after me when I was…not myself –– again. Richard claims I was quite a handful.” She smiled and shrugged. “I hope I wasn’t mean to you.” She’d made a point of waiting until the others had drifted off to sleep because she knew that Cara preferred it when they spoke alone.

Cara thought for a long moment before answering. “You were not mean, you were a woman of honor and you did what you had to do for your people.” Something about the way Cara looked at her made Kahlan feel as if her entire body were on fire. She tilted her head, studying Cara’s face as if she were seeing it for the first time. Without thinking, she cupped Cara’s cheeks and kissed her on the lips, finding the taste of her strangely familiar.

“Have a good night,” Kahlan said, and slipped into her bedroll. Cara remained in front of the fire staring at the flickering flames.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yep, Pretty Things turned out to be a trilogy. So, the real Kahlan is back and she has some questions for Cara.

Lying in her bedroll squeezing her eyes shut in an effort to achieve sleep, Kahlan reasoned that some remnant of Zedd’s spell must have compelled her do it –– although she knew that wasn’t it. What moved her to kiss Cara was something altogether different. She didn’t have a name for it, and she could not explain it, but she was fairly sure it had something to with whatever transpired between Cara and the torn version of herself.

For the days that followed, Kahlan was uncharacteristically quiet. Richard approached her various times but all he got in return was a polite smile and a request for space. The Wizard went about his days as if nothing had happened –– although he did make himself available if she were to need his counsel. Cara kept her distance but she did catch Kahlan staring at her only to quickly look away when Cara met her gaze.  
***

“You two stay here,” Richard said, “there’s no point in all of us getting wet.”

Cara started to protest but Kahlan was too quick for her. “Richard is right,” she said in that Mother Confessor tone that left no room for discussion. Cara rolled her eyes and leaned against the entrance of the cave that was to serve as their shelter.

“We’ll be back with horses and supplies by tomorrow around midday,” Richard said, taking a step to kiss Kahlan goodbye. “Protect Kahlan as if she were me,” he said to Cara over his shoulder. All he got in response was a raised eyebrow.

Kahlan arranged their bedrolls along with some blankets while Cara built a fire for warmth that would also serve to heat the generous pot of stew Zedd left for them. “I’m glad we’ll have time to talk,” she said, running her hand down Cara’s arm.

Since Kahlan had apparently lost the capacity for speech after the ordeal in Aydindril, Cara was more than a little suspicious at her sudden friendliness. “Talk,” she said, with her hands on her hips.

“Yes, talk.” Kahlan smiled brightly and went about her business.

“You’ve barely uttered a word for days. Now you want to talk?”

Kahlan nodded. “I was processing,” she said. “Now I’m ready to talk.”

“You should wait for the Wizard to get back. He loves nothing more than hearing the sound of his own voice.” Kahlan chuckled, and stood beside Cara looking out at the rain. A strong gust of cold air drove her back inside; Cara didn’t budge.

It wasn’t until sunset that she noticed Kahlan was making her move. “Here,” she said, placing a blanket over Cara’s shoulders. In doing so, she pressed her front to Cara’s back and held her in place for longer than necessary. Cara closed her eyes, losing herself for a moment in the ebb and flow of Kahlan’s breathing. The feel of Kahlan’s breasts was a pleasure she’d gotten accustomed to while minding the two Kahlans. “Let’s go inside, you’ll catch your death out here.”

As they sat before the fire, Kahlan took a deep breath, and asked, “What happened in Aydindril?” All she got back from the sullen Mord’Sith was a shrug. “Cara,” she said, placing her hand on her shoulder, “I need to know.”

This was Kahlan, after all, so there was no chance she’d let it go. Unable to come up with a credible lie, Cara decided to use the truth as a diversionary tactic. “You confessed yourself,” she said matter-of-factly.

Kahlan’s eyes widened and her lips parted. “I did what?” she asked, staring at Cara as if she had two heads.

“The not so annoying but slightly psychotic you confessed the more annoying you. Which didn’t serve much of a purpose since even confessed she was still annoying.”

Kahlan blinked and crossed her arms. “So you find me annoying?” Kahlan asked –– Cara didn’t answer. “Well? Do you?”

Cara shook her head and sighed. “Sometimes, but not as annoying as those two.”

“What else happened?” she asked.

Cara shrugged. “That was the best part.”

“Let’s put aside how annoying I am for the duration of this conversation,” Kahlan said with a sharply raised eyebrow. “I’ll speak plainly, Cara. You and I have had our differences but we’ve always had a connection, a mutual understanding that we can count on each other.” Cara listened and nodded in all the right places, all the while wondering how long Kahlan had been practicing this little speech. “It’s for that reason that I’ve decided to come to you with this.”

Cara waited for her to add something to that rather cryptic sentence but she didn’t. “This, what?” she finally asked, scrunching her nose and tipping her head.

Kahlan opened her mouth but then closed it again –– Cara suspected she’d forgotten that part of the speech. “This rather unusual problem I’m having. I have no recollection of the events that transpired while I was… not myself –– at least not in my mind –– but there are things, odd things, that perhaps you can explain. I feel as if I’ve changed somehow.”

Cara shrugged. “You don’t look any different.”

Kahlan covered her face with her hands and released a deep sigh. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” Given the annoyed expression on Kahlan’s face, Cara thought it best to stop talking. “Look, I’m not angry at you but I need to understand why I’m feeling this way.”

“And what makes you think I have an explanation for it?” Cara asked. “I am a Mord’Sith; I know nothing of feelings. I think you should talk to Richard. He has lots of feelings.”

She started to walk away but Kahlan took hold of her wrist. “Cara, will you please stop deflecting? This is a serious matter. My body is responding to you as it would to a lover. My body aches for you,” she said, “in ways I’ve never imagined possible. The scent of your hair, the feel of your skin, the taste of your lips –– and other things that I won’t mention –– are consuming me. As I sit here, it’s all I can do to not touch you, to not…”

Kahlan’s eyes were tearing up and her hands were trembling. It was then that Cara decided that death by confession, although not as good as death by being fucked by two Kahlans, was preferable to causing Kahlan distress. “She said she’d kill her, she said if I didn’t do what she asked of me she’d order her annoying twin to die. Without both of them Zedd couldn’t cast the spell. I swore to protect you so I did what I had to do. Had she demanded my life in exchange for yours, I would have given it.”

“What did she order you to do?” Kahlan asked, with her eyes fixed on Cara’s.

“Kahlan,” Cara said, pausing for a long moment, “you know the answer to that question.” Cara turned away from her but Kahlan halted her progress.

“You said she was a woman of honor; you said she did it for her people. Why would you say that about someone who forced herself on you?” Kahlan reluctantly released her grip on her and waited for an answer.

“Because she was all of those things,” Cara said. “She could have taken her pleasure –– which would have killed me –– but she didn’t. I don’t know why but once the other one stopped her whining she changed, she was you. She was generous and gentle –– to me and to the other Kahlan. She wanted us to be happy. All she asked of me was that I remember.”

“That you remember what?” Kahlan asked with her brow tightly kneaded.

Cara shook her head and sighed. “All of those things you’re remembering that you don’t remember but that you do remember, or that you don’t or maybe you do.”

“Why didn’t she kill her confessed? She would have survived without her.”

“Because she knew neither she nor her twin were fit to rule. She said a ruler needs both reason and heart.” Cara rose to her feet and rubbed the back of her neck. “I don’t regret it, Kahlan. If I had it to do over again, I would not change it.”

“But why did she spare your life?” Kahlan asked, looking up at Cara from her seated position. “If she was as ruthless and devoid of emotion as Richard claims, why would she let you live? She had no further use for you.”

“She said you needed me, which is ridiculous, but that’s what she believed.” Cara sat back down beside her hoping it was Kahlan’s turn to talk, but after what seemed like a lifetime of awkward silence, she decided it must have still been her turn. “I would never violate you, Kahlan, and I would never hurt you. Please tell me you know that.”

Kahlan’s hand went to Cara’s cheek. “I do,” she said. “And I think I understand why I’m feeling this way. That other Kahlan, the less annoying of the two, wasn’t burdened by emotions. She possessed complete clarity, and the foresight that comes with it.” She licked her lips and pulled Cara into a deep kiss. When their lips parted, Kahlan said, “It wasn’t you she was speaking to, it was me. She wanted me to remember.”

It took Cara a moment to catch her own breath after that kiss. She had not allowed for the possibility of ever kissing Kahlan again –– not even a fake one. “But why, why would she want you to remember? What would she have to gain from that?”

Kahlan thought for a long moment, as if she were mentally solving a complicated puzzle. “You said it yourself, she was me. She wanted me to remember because she wanted what was best for me and for our people. Her methods were…less subtle than mine would have been but certainly effective.” She kissed Cara again –– even more passionately. “People lie, Cara –– to themselves and to others –– but the body never lies. For months now, every time I brushed your skin with my fingers, every time we shared a bed at an inn, every time you ogled my bosom, my body screamed for your touch. And for you it was the same, don’t bother denying it.”

“You’re a beautiful woman. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to bed you?” Cara asked. “But I serve Richard.”

“Richard is the Seeker of Truth; rest assured, he already knows. He will still be the Seeker, and I will still be his Confessor.” She touched Cara’s lips with the tip of her finger, and looked into her eyes. “Do you, Cara, do you really serve Richard? Because I think there are bonds far more powerful than the Rahl bond. In fact, I question the validity of any bond forced upon someone by magic –– even the bond to my confessed.”

Cara raised both her eyebrows and crossed her arms. “So you expect me to somehow transcend my Mord’Sith training –– and also disrupt the very foundation of the Rahl Empire –– all because, what, a psychotic version of you suggested you’d enjoy bedding me?”

“No, I’m suggesting that you do those things because you have feelings for me. I’m also suggesting that we be lovers because I have never wanted anything or anyone more than I want you. Unless, of course, you don’t want to.”

“Oh, I want to. It’s the dying a painful death by confession part that isn’t all that appealing,” Cara said.

Kahlan bit her lower lip, considering Cara’s response. “I don’t think I can confess you. In fact, I’m fairly certain of it.” Cara frowned; Kahlan’s choice of words wasn’t particularly reassuring. “You tell me, can I confess you?” It didn’t take Cara long to discern that, in a roundabout way, Kahlan was asking her if she loved her. “It’s all right if you don’t care for me, Cara. I won’t be angry at you and I certainly won’t force myself on you.”

“Mord’Sith do not love, if that’s what you’re suggesting. Fortunately for you, I just happen to be a superior breed of Mord’Sith that is naturally immune to confession,” she explained.

“Is that so?” Kahlan asked with a grin on her face. Cara gave her a firm nod in response. “How many more like you are there?”

“Just me.”

“Good,” Kahlan, said, her hands already working on unlacing Cara’s leathers. “I don’t think I have the stamina to handle two Caras.”


End file.
